A Contribution to the Comparative Study of the Medieval Visions of Heaven and Hell; With Special Reference to the Middle-English Versions by Ernest J. Becker (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ...for his accounts is another, and a quite unanswerable question. The Vision of Furseus is easily accounted for. This holy man spent the greater part of his early life in France, and, while there, no doubt became imbued with the orthodox patristic doctrines and conceptions. But this vision is not original with Bede. Neither, to be sure, is that of Drihthelm, if we are to accredit Bede's own statements; but Drihthelm's vision is related with all the careful regard for detail which is characteristic of the continental visions, and it is, therefore, highly probable that the historian elaborated this story, as it was told him, from his own readings. The question is not an important one. The abstract of the Vision of Drihthelm, given below, will show very plainly that but very few, if any, of its features originated in England. The Vision of Furseus1 is about the earliest English vision we possess, and it is principally in this fact that its interest and importance for our study lies. Its influence on later visions was slight, and its details are not particularly striking. Furseus, Bede tells us, came out of Ireland into the province of the East Saxons during the reign of Sigebert. He was renowned both for his words and for his actions, and "remarkable for singular virtues, being desirous to live a stranger for our Lord whenever an opportunity should offer." On coming into England he was honorably received, and succeeded in converting many unbelievers to Christ. Being encouraged in a vision to 1Hist. Ecd., 'm. Aelfric, Thorpe, n. For complete life of Furseus, tj. Acta Sand. BoUand, 16 January, p. 413 f. Cap. I and U recount early life in France; Cap. Ill, sojourn in England; Cap. IV and V, return to, and death in, France; Cap. VI, miracles after death; ep...